How to apply for foundation years

How to apply

Please complete our online application form for one of the following courses:

Foundation Year in Science Engineering and Mathematics (CertHE)

Foundation Year in Arts and Social Sciences (CertHE)

You will be asked to create login details to start applying. You can then start your application and return to it later to complete and submit it.

The deadline for submitting an application is 11:59 pm on Sunday 16 March 2025.  

This programme is only open to home (UK) students. If you are unsure whether you are classed as a home or overseas student, or you are an EU student, visit the University's fee status page for more information. The University runs a separate foundation programme for international students.

We can consider applications from refugees and asylum seekers who are also applying for our Sanctuary Scholarship award. Applicants should declare this in their application so that we can match your application for the foundation course with your Sanctuary Scholarship application.

Admissions requirements and eligibility

These courses are for students with a 'Home' fee status. 'Overseas' fee status students should refer to our International Foundation Programmes. For information on how to check your fee status, please see our fee status information page.

There are no formal Level 3 entry requirements (A-level or equivalent) for our foundation courses. Applicants are welcome to apply with no prior qualifications.

Applicants for our Foundation Year in Science, Engineering and Technology may not be eligible if they already have other science qualifications.

Each application will be judged on its own merits, and we welcome applications from people from a wide range of ages and educational, ethnic, and social backgrounds. We are looking for applicants who are highly motivated to study and who have the potential to succeed in further university study afterwards.

Applicants for our Foundation Year in Science, Engineering and Technology who are invited to interview will be asked to discuss a maths-based activity to demonstrate an appropriate level of understanding, but we do not ask for any prior qualifications. We expect candidates to be proficient in maths to GCSE level in advance of applying, but we do not look for specific evidence before the interview. The interview day will also include a separate maths test to assess candidates’ maths abilities.

The prospectus page for each course includes more information on the eligibility criteria. Please read this information carefully before applying. See the admission statement for the relevant course:

When applying, applicants are requested to complete and upload the FY Qualification Questionnaire 2025 (Office document, 57kB) instead of listing any qualifications in their application form. Although qualifications are not required for entry to our Arts or STEM Foundation Years, we do need to know about any you have taken or are taking at Level 3 (for example, A-level or equivalent). This is to provide context for your application but does not prejudice our decision.

Personal statement

On the application form, you’ll be asked to provide a personal statement. This is your chance to tell us about:

  • your experiences of study in the past (whether positive or negative);
  • your reasons for wanting to return to study now;
  • why you wish to study the course;
  • what you would like to achieve by the end of the course;
  • whether you would like to go on to study for a degree;
  • your interest in your subject area and how this has developed;
  • your other hobbies and interests.

There is no perfect version of a personal statement, so please do not be put off by this section, we just want to know why you want to apply for the course and what you hope to get out of it. 

Selection process

We select candidates for interviews based on their application form. We then make offers to successful candidates based on their interview alongside their supporting written work for Foundation Year in Arts and Social Sciences or maths activity for Foundation Year in Science, Engineering and Mathematics. Find out more information about the interview process, or read our admissions statements above for more guidance on the admissions process overall.